Adventure 051, Site 014 – Old Fresno Bee Building

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 014 – Old Fresno Bee Building

National Registry ID: 1982000964

Local Registry ID: 122

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 16, 2012

Location:

Latitude: 36°44′25″N

Longitude: 119°47′41″W

Address: 1545/1555 Van Ness, Fresno, CA

Description:

Date Built: 1922

Architect: Leonard F. Starks

When Thing One and Thing Two moved to Fresno, this building was already vacant. Then the wonderful Fresno Metropolitan Museum took over the space and made it come alive. Four years ago, the met decided to do a major overhau to the facilities. Unfortunately before the Met could complete its renovations, the recession hit, funds dried up and the Met closed down. Since that time, the Bee Building has been empty.



This was original headquarters of The Fresno Bee, which was established in 1922 as a challenger to The Fresno Morning Republican. More recently, it was for several years the home of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum



The Fresno Bee Building appears to have been one of Leonard Starks' first major designs working on his own. It reflects the influences of both his Beaux-Arts training and his theater work adapting the flamboyant idiom popularized by Thomas W. Lamb. The Bee Building blatantly broke with the conservative and sedate architectural styles that characterized most of the town, and became something of a "painted lady" with its classic details rendered in shades of yellow ochre, venetian red and cerulean blue.



References:

• Guide to Historic Fresno
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• Wikipedia: California's National Landmarks (WCNL)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)